


reputation down!

by haesuns



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bad Boy Haechan, Feelings Realization, Humor, Kinda, Lighthearted, M/M, Spirit Week, Student Council, charmingly cliché, student council president yukhei, this is Very usa highschool, yukhei is stressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:52:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23092126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haesuns/pseuds/haesuns
Summary: Yukhei needs help. Desperately. There are plenty of things he can handle on his own, but the infamous Lee Donghyuck is a whole other story.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 23
Kudos: 197
Collections: 99' ft 00' fic fest





	reputation down!

**Author's Note:**

> prompt #FT278 with delinquent haechan and student council president yukhei
> 
> i hope it's okay that this isn't quite what you asked for; regardless, i hope you all enjoy reading! also: they are all high school age junior/senior age (~18) despite the dates!

_december 2018._

“Do you know why you’re here?”

Donghyuck’s gaze flits down to the detention form and back to Yukhei’s face, raising an unimpressed eyebrow and smacking his gum obnoxiously. Cherry red hair falls to the side as he tilts his head, fixing Yukhei with a piercing glare that spells nothing but volatility. He'd rather be anywhere else at this moment; that much is clear.

“Let me guess. Bane of the school’s existence, admin wants to teach me a _lesson_ by putting me in detention again, which never works, by the way. My question is, why the hell are _you_ here? Last time I checked, student council has nothing to do with this school’s supposed justice system.” His words are punctuated with an accusatory jab of his finger, dripping with malice and positively _pissed._

Yukhei frowns at his response—he hadn’t expected to even get words out of Donghyuck’s lips in the first place, which seemed to be stuck in a perpetual sneer—and merely taps his fingers against the green slip of paper.

“The school thinks you need to be exposed to more positivity so you’ll get out of their hair. And apparently that means sticking around me just because I’m student council president. I don’t want to be doing this any more than you do, Donghyuck,” he says.

“And you think I want to listen to their bullshit?” Donghyuck snorts, lips curling up in a characteristic smirk and standing up from his seat. He braces his hands over the small wooden desk and leans in, dangerously close to the point where Yukhei can feel his bubblegum scented breath fanning over his cheeks, and Yukhei swallows.

“Over my dead body, Wong Yukhei.”

~

_february 2019._

“Yukhei!”

A voice rings out over the clamor of students milling about from the far end of the hall, and Yukhei turns around to be met with the sight of a familiar head of green hair pushing through the crowd. Chenle, clad in a sweater vest with notebook in hand and lanyard swinging around his neck wildly, gives him a vigorous wave and continues making his way over, looking like a guy with an agenda if Yukhei's ever seen one. Fuck.

“Sorry, Chenle, I can’t help you with your journalism stuff today!” Yukhei calls out, immediately turning on his heel and pretending he can’t hear the squawk of indignation from the younger boy as he attempts to escape.

It’s not that Yukhei dislikes Chenle. Quite the opposite, actually, considering that Chenle is like a cute little brother with occasional gremlin-like tendencies and the uncanny ability to find Yukhei literally anywhere on campus. Unfortunately, he just happens to use his obscure skill to track Yukhei down and demand updates on the activities of student council. Again, not really a problem if it weren’t for the fact that Chenle is a gossip monster, plain and simple.

It’s times like these that make Yukhei wish he wasn’t so obnoxiously tall, standing out from any average crowd of students constantly like there’s a neon green sign hovering above his head at all times shouting, “Here is Wong Yukhei! Please use this as an opportune moment to bother him at any given moment! We encourage high schoolers to abandon any semblance of privacy whenever he is around!”

So yeah, being student council president doesn’t exactly aid his case.

But for once, it seems Yukhei is able to dodge Chenle’s eerily accurate senses as he rounds a corner and peeps back to the crowd, no green hair in sight. He heaves a comically heavy sigh of relief, hiking his backpack up on his shoulders and proceeding towards the exit to—

“Oh, Yukhei!”

Yukhei nearly jumps out of his skin as Chenle seemingly materializes out of nowhere in front of him, saccharine smile stretching his lips in a friendly gesture and pencil already in hand. Right out of a horror movie. “I was looking for you, actually, and I think you can spare me a few minutes, yeah?” he offers, tugging Yukhei towards the near-vacant classroom typically used for studying. Well, too late to do anything now.

“Sure,” sighs Yukhei, obliging as Chenle takes a seat across from him at the nearest table and steeples his fingers. “What’s up?”

Although rational and sweet, Chenle is oftentimes... a lot to handle for the untrained person, in Yukhei's humble opinion. His seams burst with genuine excitement and fiery ambition, and he moves like he's in danger of being tied down if he stays still for too long. He's got a glow in his eyes and warmth in his smile.

“Well, I couldn’t help but hear about this little passion project you’ve got going on! Exciting stuff, right?” Chenle grins so earnestly that Yukhei almost wants to pretend he knows what the hell he’s talking about.

“My..." Yukhei blinks. "My what?”

“Your passion project!” he reiterates, pencil twirling between his fingers at an alarming speed, and Yukhei stares. “You know, helping Lee Donghyuck keep his record clean. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

An arrow straight through the heart.

Oh, god. So that's what this is about. There are about a million questions running through Yukhei's head as soon as Chenle utters the words, but the first that he manages to voice is:

"How did you even find out about that?"

Flabbergasted is probably the only word he can use to describe his emotions as a whole. Chenle just shrugs, cryptic in his gathering of information as ever, and smiles. Truly the epitome of a 2nd year, terrifyingly skilled journalism student, heir of none other than Huang Renjun (who is Also Terrifyingly Skilled).

"I have my ways," he says, clarifying literally nothing, and clears his throat in a dramatic gesture. "But you'll do it, right? Word is kinda getting around, and, well," the younger boy chuckles, "Renjun sent me out to gather the details, and what better person to get them from than the man himself?"

Okay. Alright. If the entire school wants to hear about the emotional rollercoaster held together by duct tape and faith that this entire endeavor has been, it might as well be by the hands of someone Yukhei trusts. He takes a deep breath and pretends he isn't about to internally implode. Where the hell does he even begin? Their first meeting? Tracking him down? 5th period chemistry of freshman year? Actually, no, too specific. He settles for:

"That's fine by me. What do you want to know about it?"

And Chenle grins, brilliant with an edge of sharpness, flipping open to a page of his notebook already half-scribbled in.

"I'd like you to take a look into your mind and recall from the very beginning. How did this all become a part of your life? I've got all the time in the world, and as long as you're willing to reveal it, I'm willing to write it."

Something tells him that this might take a while.

~

_december 2018._

As far as Yukhei is concerned, he'd like to keep Lee Donghyuck as far away from him as possible.

Okay, well, that sounds kind of bad. Yukhei is well-liked with a reputation to uphold, and Donghyuck simply doesn't fall into that standard. At all. Where Yukhei is earnest and friendly, Donghyuck is sharp and crass. Perhaps his own grades aren't much to boast, but he certainly tries to score decently on his assignments. He's got a good group of friends he'd trust with practically anything, and student council seems to have enjoyed his leadership so far.

But Donghyuck, for lack of better terms, is a delinquent.

As far as Yukhei can tell, he's not exactly the most rude or disrespectful of them all. Yet the records speak for themselves; Lee Donghyuck, talking back and cussing at a teacher, claiming to have been provoked. Lee Donghyuck, getting into a fight with a shit-talker and emerging on top. Lee Donghyuck, violating practically every dress code rule at once, and somehow staying enrolled at their high school. He thinks he remembers Renjun calling him a bastard child at some point; it sounded like a vaguely 17th century insult, but it got the point across decently enough.

Still, there are things Yukhei would rather mull over than Donghyuck's enigmatic tendencies. He doesn't mentally exclude Donghyuck from his school speeches in secret out of spite or treat him with disdain. As long as their interactions are kept to a minimum, Yukhei has no problem with him sticking around the school and going about his business.

But fate has favorites, and by December, Yukhei comes to realize that he is not one of them.

"Yukhei, you're aware of Lee Donghyuck, yes?" asks one of the counselors, Ms. Bae, one day after school. She's a nice, no-nonsense young woman that people generally take a liking to, but Yukhei can't help the sense of trepidation instilled by her question.

Perhaps a better question is, who _isn't_ aware of Donghyuck? He's a year below Yukhei's grade with radioactive red hair and no shortage of piercings by any means, constantly drawing looks of unease (or admiration) whenever he walks through any hall or classroom. He baits with intent and strikes wherever he pleases. If Yukhei had to choose any single person to define the word _reputation_ , it'd absolutely, undeniably be Lee Donghyuck.

Simply put: "Yeah, I know who he is."

Ms. Bae clasps her hands together in gentle delight, standing from her office chair and making Yukhei suddenly aware that she is multiple heads shorter than him. Like, very short. Shorter-than-Renjun short.

"Great! You see, some of our staff have been discussing things, and we think it'd be great to change things up. As you may know, Donghyuck is... well, I'll be blunt. He's a troublemaker." Oh, Yukhei knows. "So we were thinking it'd be good for him to be exposed to some more positive influences around campus, such as yourself as this year's student council president. How does that sound?"

It's with her sharp smile and eyebrow raise that Yukhei finally understands why so many students consider her intimidating. On one hand, his stomach drops straight into his ass at the prospect with dread. On the other, the tiny Yukhei in his mind kicks at him to stand up straighter and steel himself, and he forces a serious nod.

"I'm not opposed, ma'am. But, can I ask what exactly this entails?"

Ms. Bae flaps her hand in a gesture that's probably meant to be read as comforting nonchalance, but it only serves to increase Yukhei's anxiety.

"Nothing too specific, I wouldn't worry about it. Just try to befriend him and help him mellow out, you know?" she says, patting his shoulder warmly, and Yukhei gulps.

"I can try."

She lets out a short laugh and walks past him, turning back to him as she reaches the door of the counseling office. "No promises, I know. But, I hope you can do your best, Yukhei."

Yukhei is struck with the feeling that he's in over his head.

~

Things Yukhei is good at: encouraging people, having fun, being personable, and for some reason, finding books in the school library, seeing as how Mark tries to recruit him every single time he steps in.

Things Yukhei is not good at: very fine technical skills (he sure can bust a move, though) and approaching intimidating people. At least, this is what Renjun says to him as they're painting winter bake sale posters with the help of some culinary students after school, and Renjun has to remind him for the third time to use a bigger brush.

"What's on your mind, dude? You seem distracted. Is this about the whole Donghyuck thing? 'Cause I'm telling you, the guy is not nearly as intimidating as you think he is, you just need— _oh, fuck_ —"

The bottle of acrylic paint tumbles down as Renjun's elbow comes into contact with it, and he hisses, scrambling to pick it up before it can spill red all over the desks haphazardly pushed together. He sets it back upright with a too-forceful thud, earning a confused glance or two from the nearby students, and sighs in relief.

"Okay, sorry, I just lost my train of thought. But basically, I think you should just talk to him," he offers, picking his paintbrush up to continue his decorating, and Yukhei frowns.

"Like, simple as that? Easier said than done, dude. Also, how would you know he's not intimidating?"

"You're changing the subject," Renjun replies, ignoring the scandalized " _a_ _m not!"_ from Yukhei's part and tugging his sleeves up his arms. "Really, find him somewhere and strike up a conversation. Figuring out his mind works is the first step to getting him to change, you know."

"That sounds..." A frown crosses Yukhei's face. "Mildly manipulative," he finishes, and Renjun scoffs in indignation.

"It's not manipulation, isn't it literally your job to encourage and befriend him? Y'know, be the universal friend?" He pauses. "Also, just... let someone else paint the letters."

Yukhei groans at his words and refrains from slamming his forehead into the fake wood of the desk beneath his fingers. "What if I don't _want_ to be the universal friend? Like, I'm all for having good relations, but there's no way everybody in this school likes me." He huffs and sets the paintbrush down on the styrofoam plate, and Renjun merely sighs emphatically.

"You'll have to try, at the very least. Track him down or something. Use Chenle? Get that big noggin of his to help you track him down."

Yukhei feels his expression sour at the suggestion like he's bitten into a particularly tart, Chenle-shaped green apple. "Uh, no? He's like a little bargain-maker who'll make me give him my firstborn, or something."

Renjun rolls his eyes and mutters something about Yukhei not even being able to give birth, tugging his sleeves further up his arms. "Don't be such a baby."

There's a moment of silence, then realization as Renjun's hand flies up to halt Yukhei from speaking, muffling his words.

"And please stop saying _I'm baby_ ," he interrupts, lowering his hand and dusting them off in exasperation. "I'll help you find him if you want."

"Really?"

Renjun's expression softens as Yukhei puts on his best puppy eyes, setting down the paintbrush at last with a sense of finality.

"Yes, really. Chenle had to learn his tricks from someone, and that someone is me."

~

"Okay. Thoughts?" asks Renjun at Yukhei's side, standing at the doors of the school's administrative office, and Yukhei steels himself. Not that he has no idea what's inside—the doors are glass, the woman at the front desk gives him an odd look, and some bored-looking students sit waiting along the washed-out walls. But it's the _office_ , and he can't just waltz in to ask mildly invasive questions on the whereabouts of everyone's _favorite_ delinquent. Emphasis on the sarcasm.

"No thoughts," Yukhei says in response, feeling an awful lot like his faint reflection in the doors is judging him intensely. He quells the urge in his fingers to trace the glass forlornly. _Head empty._

"Okay, well, you better gather them, because we're going inside."

It's not as bad as Yukhei anticipated; the reputation of student council is on his side, and he learns that Donghyuck (unsurprisingly) ends up in detention after school. A part of his mind berates himself for not just thinking logically about where Donghyuck would end up for his constant shit-talking. If he's not suspended and not in class, where else would he be? Process of elimination: failed.

This is what brings Yukhei face-to-face with the door of the biology classroom after school, covered in stickers of various animals with mildly unnerving cartoon eyes. Are doors even allowed to be so overly-decorated?

"Um, do I have to do this?" he asks Renjun, shifting his weight between his feet and peering through the mercifully uncovered parts of the window. The teacher isn't even inside, and Yukhei begins to wonder if he just happens to have the worst timing in the world.

"I mean, you really don't have to if you don't want to. Ms. Bae said it was up to you, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I feel like it's something I should do. At worst, things don't work out and we go our separate ways again," Yukhei says, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck.

"Yukhei, you don't need to take on any unnecessary burdens. You already do so much for this school."

"Do you guys _mind_?" cuts in a voice, tight and irritated in a quiet sort of way, and Yukhei nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Oh, we're so sorry, I'll..."

Ah.

"Lee Donghyuck."

It's Renjun who speaks for him this time, stepping out of the doorway with a glare that burns into Donghyuck's head all the way through. Donghyuck turns as he opens the door, shooting Renjun a look that could absolutely destroy and stalking past.

"That's my name. Don't wear it out."

Yukhei's foot darts out to stop the door before it can slam shut, heart racing and gesturing vaguely to Donghyuck once his back is to them, earning a squint from Renjun.

_What?_ he mouths, hands upturned in confusion. _Me?_

_Yes, you!_ Yukhei shoots back, making a talking gesture with his hands like a ridiculous game of charades, except neither of them are allowed to speak so they look like a pair of mimes in a school hallway.

_Why me?_ _You talk!_

"What the _hell_ are you guys doing?"

Donghyuck is now seated at a desk facing the front of the classroom, and by default, the door where Renjun and Yukhei are silently debating like the clowns they are.

"Um, talking? Mind your own business," Renjun hisses, pulling Yukhei aside and mostly out of his sight.

"God, okay, I'll do the talking," Yukhei says, hands lowered in a gesture that attempts to be placating but only makes him look like he's trying to tame a feral cat. "You're just going to get mad at him, which is a miracle considering that you're an angel, but I'll handle this."

Renjun frowns. "I know, that's why I said _you_ should talk. Just don't act like he's something to be pitied."

Deep breaths. "Alright, I can handle this. I talk to people all the time."

"That's the spirit, Yukhei." Renjun gives him a nod and a firm clap on the back, sending him off on his way. "I'll be here if you need backup!" he whisper-shouts without a drop of subtlety, and Yukhei winces as Donghyuck looks up with a critical eyebrow raised. It's not like he's trying to fight Donghyuck in any way, for God's sake.

Still, his mind feels. Well. Not quite there?

No, the idea is that he feels his mind isn't _focused_. Donghyuck watches him all the way over, gaze snapping over his figure before resting upon his eyes and chewing slowly. Gum, Yukhei deduces, and it makes his throat go dry for whatever reason.

(Let it be known that attraction wouldn't exactly be the way to put it. Perhaps nerve-inducing confidence would be a better term.)

"Do you need something?"

Yukhei stares—like, _stares_ , if the barest unnerved expression on Donghyuck's face is any indication.

"Oh, uh, I do! Lee Donghyuck, right?" asks Yukhei, mentally smacking a palm against his forehead because he literally already confirmed this in his unfortunate interaction with Renjun. "I'm Wong Yukhei, student council president." He stretches a hand out to Donghyuck to coax a handshake, even if he fears his smile looks a bit unsteady.

"I know," says Donghyuck, taking his hand nonetheless and shaking lightly. Alright, a better response than expected. Yukhei vaguely wonders if he should be a PR agent. "But I'm here for detention, you know. Not to chat."

Okay, erase the PR agent dream.

"Oh, I'm aware. Here's the form, by the way, if you... uh. Need it." Is there a deity for coherent thoughts? Regardless of the answer, Yukhei is certainly praying to it right now.

Donghyuck sighs, rolls his eyes, and leans back in his chair. His eyes lose the hesitant softness, becoming deep-set with something harsher, something colder.

"Cut the crap, Yukhei. What do you want from me?"

~

Yukhei likes to abide by a few specific rules in his life concerning self-control. Through thick and thin, they've gotten him past some serious stuff, and he keeps them all filed away in a subconscious mental checklist.

Rule one: Don't mess with something that isn't bothering you. Lovingly dubbed the _mind your own business_ rule, unless that business happens to involve his friends' happiness. Key to preventing unnecessary stress.

Rule two: Don't go in if you don't know the way out. A rule occasionally disregarded for minor matters, but certainly helpful with more pressing issues.

Rule three: Do good for others and yourself. A more all-encompassing concept, plus a necessary reminder as a student council president with many responsibilities.

He might've stolen the first two from a post about cowboy advice, but the credit goes to his mind for the last one.

Yet somehow, in the span of his three minute interaction with Lee Donghyuck, the boy has managed to shatter all three of these rules, and Yukhei is beginning to lose faith in the number.

("Can I add these to the advice column?" asks Chenle, pausing in his frantic scribbling, and Yukhei makes an ambiguous noise.

"I mean, I don't think these are copyrighted?"

A shrug. "Good enough for me.")

And Yukhei likes to think he's a pretty confident guy. Even if he hadn't been born with the good looks and nice personality, he'd probably be getting around decently with confidence alone. But something about Donghyuck is so positively _disarming_ , and Yukhei isn't sure how he feels about it.

He expresses this to Jeno at lunchtime with his cheek leaned against his palm, and Jeno pauses, shitty burger mid-way to his mouth.

"We're talking about Donghyuck, right? He's really not that bad."

"Okay, maybe disarming isn't really correct. I mean that he keeps catching me off-guard, and I don't know how to deal with it," Yukhei bemoans, resisting the urge to drag his hands down his face in defeat and bringing his water bottle up to ease his dry throat.

"Oh," Jeno says intelligently, helpfully. "I'm friends with him, actually."

Now, _that_ nearly makes Yukhei choke on his water.

"He—" Wait, he can't just ask if Donghyuck has friends, that'd be plain rude. "How did you even end up becoming friends?"

Jeno shrugs, lowering the burger to his tray nonchalantly. "We met freshman year, and he looked like he needed some friends. Seriously, half of the things you hear about him aren't true. He's a troublemaker, but he's never broken a law, I promise."

Yukhei isn't sure that the assurance is comforting, considering that he didn't think Donghyuck would've broken a law in the first place. Just how much of his reputation is he not aware of?

"But he gets in trouble a lot either way. How has he not been expelled by now?"

"I wouldn't say he doesn't care about success. He just really, _really_ hates the education system. And can you blame him?"

It doesn't answer the question, but he supposes it makes sense. Yukhei sighs half-heartedly in concession, shoulders slumping with the motion. "Guess not," he says, and Jeno gives him a warm smile. "I just don't know how to approach him."

Jeno falters in his motions, fixing Yukhei with a look of mild amusement and raising a brow. "This is beginning to sound like crush therapy, dude."

"Th— _crush_? Jeno, we've barely met," he gapes, incredulity coloring his voice, and Jeno laughs.

"Didn't you have chemistry together in your first year? Pun unintended," Jeno adds, and Yukhei resists the urge to just... lie down. Facedown, perhaps. Absolutely not. There is _zero_ chemistry between them.

"We've never even talked. Like, I guess he's objectively good-looking in a boyish kinda way," (an eyebrow raise from Jeno), "but the first thing he did when he saw Renjun and I was tell us to get out of his way." He won't lie and say Donghyuck isn't attractive because Donghyuck is, in fact, very attractive. But that's a crisis for another time, hopefully.

"Then arrange a meet-up, or something. Go have a meal or do homework together, I'm sure there's something for you to do to get more familiar."

And Yukhei, clearly lacking in his D&D Wisdom stat, decides that this is a Very Good Idea. Jeno is smart and trustworthy (not that Yukhei lacks either of these traits, of course), so there's a scientifically very small chance of things going wrong. Hopefully. So he nods slowly, smile inching onto his lips as the ideas begin to unfurl and blossom, and leans forward a little bit.

"Say, Jeno. Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, I'm listening."

This could work out, after all.

~

Here's how the run-down goes: Yukhei arrives at school in the morning with two cups of coffee and the thin hope that Donghyuck is fine with coffee. He gives it to Donghyuck as a peace offering, things become less tense and boom, profit.

He heeds Jeno's warning that a big gesture would likely embarrass Donghyuck more than anything, as would outright invitations to any sort of outing.

This is how Yukhei ends up at the door of Donghyuck's first period class, fate resting upon the warm coffee in his hand and the chance that Donghyuck hasn't ditched for whatever reason. Yerim, ever the faithful student council treasurer, shoots him a thumbs up just as he's about to enter the cage of the beast (read: history classroom in which Donghyuck is seated).

"Hey, Donghyuck. I got an extra coffee because the shop messed up my first order, so I figured I'd stop by and give it to you."

_Oh my god, Yukhei, you don't have to lie just to give someone coffee. That excuse doesn't even make sense._

A moment of silence. "Isn't your first period across the building? That's a far walk just to give me coffee," Donghyuck says, and Yukhei feels his face redden. One: why does he know that? Two: wow.

"It's, uh, just a nice gesture, I guess. Do you mind if I...?" He vaguely motions to the seat next to Donghyuck, ignoring the stares of the few students scattered about the desks and offering a pleasant smile. Donghyuck shrugs ambiguously, and Yukhei supposes that's confirmation enough to sit down.

"I hope you're okay with this kind of order. Don't really know what you like, y'know," says Yukhei with a light chuckle, holding the cup out, and Donghyuck gingerly takes it into his own grasp.

"I'm not picky." A pause and a sip, and Yukhei thinks he sees the tenseness in his face ease just the slightest. "Thanks," Donghyuck mutters, and damn it if it doesn't make Yukhei's heart soar. Progress is progress, is it not?

"Of course."

Naturally, an extended silence.

"Are you fine with this whole thing, by the way? What the counselors are trying to get us to do, I mean."

Yukhei's met with another shrug, and Donghyuck averts his eyes hastily, setting the coffee down.

"I don't want to do it, of course. They just want me to change, which is bullshit because I'm not doing that. They have this idea that I'm the devil incarnate when I barely do anything," he says, and Yukhei frowns for a multitude of reasons.

"Isn't that a bit of an understatement?" He's pretty sure he heard about Donghyuck getting into a fight just last month.

"Maybe," snorts Donghyuck, taking another sip of coffee, and Yukhei can smell its scent wafting over from the open lid. "I'll be real with you, Yukhei. You don't seem like an asshole, and I'm clearly not the nicest person on campus. But if you expect me to become some angel because of a few teachers, you're not getting anywhere. Got it?"

"I—" Okay, a bit aggressive on Donghyuck's part. Why can't there be a WikiHow tutorial on dealing with particularly snappy boys named Lee Donghyuck? _Think about the Jeno advice,_ Yukhei's mind supplies. _Not as bad as you think._ "I just think it'd be nice to get to know you."

Clamping his lips together, he finds himself staring at Donghyuck, imagining the metaphorical gears turning in his brain from the way his eyebrows furrow together. Donghyuck tilts his head, hair falling away from his face ever so slightly, and—well. He has an eyebrow slit. This is fine.

(Yukhei hadn't even noticed. How had he not noticed?)

"Nice? You're getting the wrong idea here if you think I'm nice."

"Well, everyone is nice in some way. You're friends with Jeno, right? Jeno wouldn't be friends with someone who's a bad person, and I trust his judgment," Yukhei explains, and Donghyuck's shoulders shake with a sudden snort at the same time the bell rings, and the entire classroom begins to shift.

"Then I hope you're not making the wrong decision here, Yukhei. Good luck."

~

For a while, Yukhei's interactions with Donghyuck are kept to a disappointing minimum, and he can't help the way his eyes linger at the brief glances he catches of Donghyuck in the halls. Not that Yukhei is avoiding him or vice versa, he's pretty certain (or at least hoping). School spirit is in full swing, and student council has been more than busy with planning their winter dance.

Which means the painstaking process of meetings with admin to make sure nothing goes against school policy, of course, all the way down to the finest details. Yerim shoots him a text in the morning as a reminder to not forget their meeting in the library tomorrow, and he arrives the next day feeling tired out of his _mind._

"You don't look so hot, Yukhei," Mark says from the front desk in lieu of a greeting, and Yukhei shoots a smile that he hopes doesn't seem half-assed.

"Planning," is all he says, and Mark gives him a hum of understanding.

"Don't stress yourself out too much, man. Let me know if you want to get out and just chill, okay?"

Oh. Yukhei wasn't expecting to be struck with the urge to pull Mark into a sobbing hug, but here he is. But, no tears for now. He will _not_ let the first semester peak of planning strike him down.

"Thanks, Mark," he sighs, feeling just a bit of the tension seep out of his body and heading towards the table where the rest of the student council leaders wait. Yerim gives him a look of sympathy and pats his back wordlessly, scooting out of her chair to command their attention.

"Alright, guys, the dance is going to be at the end of this week, so we need to get decorations up fast. Renjun?"

Renjun nods and holds his phone out for the rest of them to see; he's got the usual winter-themed decorations sketched out on an app with a fairytale flair, earning some _oohs_ from everyone at the table.

"I can get art club to help with what we can't finish, and we've got plenty of balloons for the arches. Silver and white, specifically. The history club sponsor is also trying to get some support for us, too, but I'm not sure if we can get it. Other than that, we're on track."

Yukhei suppresses a sigh of relief—it's not that he distrusts the other leaders, of course not. But he just can't help the worry that things won't turn out the way he hopes, or that people will be left unhappy. Jeno has called him too selfless, and coming from Jeno? That's when he _knows_ he's putting too much into this.

Yerim steadily explains that their budget is looking good—no unexpected costs arise out of nowhere—Renjun faithfully scrawls down some bullet points that double as both meeting and journalism notes, yet Yukhei just can't seem to push down his anxiety.

It's Renjun who mercifully cuts through his thoughts, resting a warm hand over his forearm.

"Xuxi, you wanna head over and put our stuff back in the stuco room?" he offers, and Yerim nods in agreement. And, well, he's not about to argue with either of them.

"Sure. Are we all set for today, then?"

Yerim rolls her eyes, twinkling with fondness and shaking her head. "You've done more than enough. You put our schedule together and made all the contacts, and I can't even imagine what a pain the admin meetings are. Really, Yukhei, thank you."

Oh, god.

" _Guys_ ," he says, fighting to keep the wobble out of his voice, and two pairs of eyes immediately widen.

"Please no crying in the library. What happened to keeping it happy?" insists Renjun, squeezing his wrist and bundling their binders into his arms. "Go get em."

Wow. Just like the imaginary suburban dad in Yukhei's mind.

"You got it. Keeping it happy!" he announces, pumping a fist and flashing a signature smile before heading on his way back to the student council room.

~

Here's the thing—Yukhei is very capable of being the mind-your-own-business person. Even if he gets a little in over his head now and then, he doesn't just barrel into other people's dealings.

But he will make an exception—a teeny tiny one, miniscule, he swears!—when he sees something... intriguing, shifting around in an empty classroom.

(Rational brain Yukhei says to not intrude upon an dark, empty room based off of the possibly incorrect hunch that he saw something moving. Horror movie protag brain Yukhei has other ideas. Damn you, horror movie protag brain.)

So, he opens the door very carefully so as to not make any noise, and—

"Jesus _fuck_!"

The blare of an airhorn almost sends him 5 feet into the air, and a thud sounds from the teacher's desk, followed by an all-too-familiar hiss that has Yukhei squinting.

"Hello?" he calls out, and a grumble sounds out into the silence. A flip of the lightswitch reveals Donghyuck kneeling next to the desk, and he's got that cornered animal look in his eye behind a thin layer of feigned nonchalance.

"What the hell?" Donghyuck eventually manages to say, suddenly standing before Yukhei can even mirror the sentiment. "Why are you just busting into a classroom after school?" He holds his hand to his head in pain, and Yukhei suspects he had accidentally hit it in his surprise.

"I could ask the same of you!" Bewilderment colors Yukhei's tone, and he whips around towards the door.

There's an airhorn. _Taped to the doorknob._ Quite meticulously, so the airhorn would sound out if the door so much as _taps_ the wall.

Wow.

"I should've known it was weird that the door was unlocked to an empty classroom. Why are you in here?"

"Revenge?" Donghyuck answers as if it should be obvious (which it is not). "Jeno got yelled at for something that wasn't even his fault, of course I'm going to retaliate!"

"What if somebody else had opened the door? A teacher? Maintenance?"

"It's the _photography_ classroom, Yukhei. I know how maintenance makes their rounds, and nobody else ever comes in here."

Yukhei supposes he has to commend the consideration of not inconveniencing the janitors, but his heart still feels like it's about to jackhammer out of his chest.

"So," Donghyuck begins with an edge of suspicion. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Student council." Yukhei frowns.

"In this classroom?"

"Well, I was about to go home from a student council meeting."

Donghyuck looks at his as though there's a threat lingering on the tip of his tongue, eyes sharp and brows furrowed, but seems to decide against it.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone, if that's what you were gonna ask about," he says. "Does it not bother you? Getting in trouble so often?"

Donghyuck just stands, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jacket with a noncommittal noise. "It's not like I do it enough to face severe consequences. Just—" He almost stumbles over his own words, avoiding Yukhei's gaze. "Don't get it twisted, I just don't want to be expelled."

Oh? Now _this_ is interesting.

"So you do care?"

"Wh-do you expect me to not care?" Donghyuck sputters. "I care about my friends, and I like minorly inconveniencing certain people. There's nothing else to it."

He crosses his arms over his chest with a huff, leveling Yukhei with a glare that is nowhere as impactful as it was before they got acquainted. Yukhei snickers, and he swears the beginnings of a flush bloom on Donghyuck's cheeks.

"What's so funny?" he demands, but it comes off as more petulant than anything.

"No, it's just. You seem all tough or whatever, but..." Yukhei's voice trails off, and Donghyuck raises an eyebrow.

"But what? Just spit it out."

"How do I say this. You're kind of endearing?"

There's a flash of emotions that cross Donghyuck's face in rapid succession: shock, embarrassment, maybe mixed with indignation. But there's definitely a pinkish flush coloring his cheeks, and Yukhei finds an odd sort of satisfaction in seeing it.

"I am _not_ endearing," hisses Donghyuck, standing suddenly and nearing Yukhei in a way that might've been intimidating two weeks ago. He looks like he's about to grab Yukhei by the collar if the twitching hands are anything to go by, and, well. Yukhei must have a death wish or something, because a laugh bubbles past his lips despite the fact that he's currently being backed against a wall.

"Hey, Donghyuck, seriously. You can drop the tough image, I'm not here to make mortal enemies with you. It really wouldn't hurt to just calm down," he suggests, and Donghyuck presses his lips together into a thin line. A flicker of uncertainty—a gaze that studies Yukhei's face a little too hard, a huff that escapes through the nose harshly before he finally steps away.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm calm."

"Okay." Cool. This means progress. "And I'm sorry for barging in on your business, Donghyuck. I'll be on my way, now," Yukhei says, offering a slight smile.

"You don't have to apologize. It's fine." It's a bit clumsy, but Yukhei's chest swells as Donghyuck tentatively meets his eye without nearly as much of his typical bite. Might as well take a shot while he can, right?

"Are you heading home soon?" asks Yukhei, halting in the doorway. He almost startles when Donghyuck laughs out of seemingly nowhere, running a hand through red locks and heaving a sigh.

"Shit. Jeno was supposed to be giving me a ride, but he's definitely home by now," he mutters, hand coming down to hit the desk with a light, defeated thud.

As the youth might say: YOLO.

(Yukhei's brain reminds him that he is, in fact, still a youth.)

"Do you need me to give you a ride?"

His heart just about stops when Donghyuck fixes him with a very particular look, the one that looks awfully like the _I'm not sure I should be doing this_ look.

"You don't have to," Donghyuck replies carefully, like he's testing new waters.

"But I can, and I'd like to if you're alright with it," Yukhei says with certainty, any previous trace of hesitance left behind with the offer. He can do this, bit by bit, however long Donghyuck needs. No more idling about.

"If you say so."

And for the first time, Donghyuck's voice holds a smile within it.

~

"Oh no."

_Oh yes,_ chides Yukhei's brain as soon as he flops onto his bed at home, traces of Donghyuck's scent lingering in the air around him.

"Oh _no,_ " he moans a second time, because now he's thinking about the way Donghyuck actually smiles quite nicely, the way he couldn't hold back his laughter at a particularly dumb pun Yukhei made while driving.

("Huh, maybe we should've started driving a bit earlier," Donghyuck comments, squinting against the sun, low in the sky and inconveniently shining right into their eyes.

"Ah, it's not a big deal. Just a _light_ annoyance," Yukhei immediately replies on autopilot, and Donghyuck snorts, shoulders shaking and hand coming up to cover his mouth.

"That was so lame."

"You laughed, though!")

Yukhei's subconscious files that scene into _things I will think about for at least 5 years straight_. Getting into the whole Delinquent Remediation already felt like screwing himself over enough.

And here he is now, abandoning the idea of any sort of remediation, because now he has an actual idea of what Donghyuck is like and is a bit smitten. Not that he'll admit it, no. It's just a temporary thing, that little feeling he tends to get when he gets closer to certain people, of course.

There is absolutely no need to screw himself over further. Fool him once, shame on you. Fool him twice, shame on these— _ugh_ —emotions. He likes his emotions and would like to keep them, thank you very much, but he also prefers not being stressed over them. This is something that can be dealt with another time.

Or so he hopes.

~

"Happy Monday, staff and students! This is Trouble C coming to you live from the morning announcements."

Yukhei squints, shakes his head to make sure he's not hearing things. There sits Chenle against the typical greenscreen background with the title _Trouble C_ printed underneath his face. They didn't even bother filling in the greenscreen.

"This week is our school spirit week leading up to our winter dance. Pre-order your tickets from a member of student council, or pay full price at the door!"

It's a message that shakes the sleepiness out of Yukhei's body, replacing it with something akin to nervous excitement—finally, a payoff for student council's efforts in the past few weeks, a chance to liven things up.

Chenle rattles off the spirit week themes, amongst which are the constantly recurring _winter movie_ and _ugly sweater_ themes. Yukhei will admit, he's got a bit of a weak spot for the clichés (and in hindsight, this is probably why his suggestions are faithfully unwavering in their cheesy nature).

Which is precisely why he shows up in the most horrendous abomination of an ugly sweater he can find the very next day: it's got the front half of a reindeer hanging out of the frontside and the other half on the back. All topped with a garish green and tinsel that looks like it was attached with a hot glue gun? Yeah, he's dressed to stress.

There tends to be a range when it comes to ugly sweaters: the ones that are only mildly ugly (Jeno's), the ones that are rather normal (Renjun's), and the ones that _almost_ are up to par with Yukhei's (Chenle's).

Then, of course, there are the non-participants. And Yukhei finds a nice joy in seeing people have a bit of fun in their outfits, but he doesn't mind those who don't participate. But every now and then, he likes to poke a bit of fun. Sue him, really.

"Didn't think I'd see you here," Yukhei remarks as a very particular someone walks through the library doors, bringing a chill of winter air in towards the circulation desk.

"Should I be offended?" says an ugly-sweaterless Donghyuck, but the beginnings of a smile play upon his lips, and Yukhei thinks he sees Mark's jaw drop from the corner of his eye. Mark proceeds to busy himself with staring intently at the late book returns list, so Yukhei takes it upon himself to approach Donghyuck first.

"No school spirit."

"Nope."

"Not even a little?" he tries, and all Donghyuck gives him in return is a snicker, shoulders shaking as he removes his jacket and slings it over his forearm.

"Would it make you feel better if I showed up wearing..." He vaguely gestures at the reindeer sweater. "That? No way in hell."

"Hey, this was hard to find! Plus, I think you could pull it off," Yukhei says, giving Donghyuck a once-over. Ripped jeans, very normal t-shirt, same red hair as always.

"You're just saying that because it'd make you feel better seeing me participate."

Yukhei pouts, and Donghyuck gets this look on his face that's probably dawning realization mixed with something indecipherable.

"Oh my god. Of course it'd legitimately make you feel better, what did I even expect," he sighs, and Yukhei grins in triumph.

"Of course! You know, like a favor of sorts for driving you back home."

"Hey, I said _nothing_ about an exchange of favors."

"I hate to interrupt this, uh, thing you've got going on here," Mark calls out from the desk, and two heads turn simultaneously at his voice. "But try to keep it down a bit?"

"You heard the man, Donghyuck."

"Yukhei, that includes you," Mark says, and Donghyuck flashes a smile that's all teeth.

"Anyway," huffs Yukhei.

"Avoiding responsibility, huh?" Oh, the irony.

" _Anyway,_ Donghyuck. What brings you here? Did you need a book? Don't ask Mark, he's really bad at finding them sometimes," says Yukhei, and Mark makes a strangled noise of protest from the desk.

"Just trying to find someplace quiet." The words are paired with a shrug that seems too casual to be anything other than practiced, and Yukhei raises an eyebrow. "Do you do library services? You're in here a lot."

"So you've noticed me before?" It's got an obvious answer, but Yukhei just can't help but ask. "But no, I just like to help around."

"Uh, yeah, you're student council president." Oh, right, and that. "You seem to 'help around' a lot."

Yukhei shrugs it off and waves his hand easily. "It's only a thing or two every now and then. Gotta boost the morale around this place sometimes, especially in winter. But it's no fun if you don't _make_ it fun, dude."

A silent eyebrow raise and a huff of a laugh. "This isn't really my kind of thing."

"Oh, come on. Not even the dance? We've worked hard on that!" Yukhei insists. "I can help you if you'd like?"

And Donghyuck gets this scheming twinkle in his eye that slams Yukhei with both anticipation and apprehension, all the way down to his fingertips.

"When are you free, then?"

"A-after school? Tomorrow?" Yukhei stammers.

There's a moment where Donghyuck hums in thought before the corners of his lips twitch almost imperceptibly.

"Alright. You know where the senior history classroom is, yeah? Hope to see you then."

~

There are about a thousand possibilities bouncing on the inside of Yukhei's skull, including but not limited to:

1) This will be a very normal encounter in which Yukhei legitimately helps Donghyuck.

2) Nothing really happens?

3) Donghyuck isn't going to jump him, but something scary might happen. ( _Feelings_ , whispers the small Jeno in his mind. Be quiet, small Jeno.)

He may or may not have shot Jeno a panic text a few minutes prior about suddenly being invited to Hang Out with Donghyuck. Alas, the only response Jeno graced him with was a brief " _lol thanks for being nice with him he's pretty cool :)_ " text. A nice sentiment, although unhelpful. Out of sheer goodwill (and probably still panic), he's also brought Peace Offering 2.0: an entire box of pizza, courtesy of math club's copious leftovers, awaiting him in the car if needed.

Thankfully (?), Donghyuck arrives before Yukhei can find it in himself to become more stressed out, chewing on gum with his phone in his hand. There's a little bear sticker on the case, and Yukhei has to stop himself from disintegrating on the spot.

"You good with going to my place?"

"Wait, dude. So you mysteriously invite me to hang out, and suddenly we're going to your house?" wheezes Yukhei.

"So glad you understand," Donghyuck says with a solemn nod, clapping him on the shoulder. But with that knowing shine in his eyes and subtle smile, Yukhei isn't sure he has much of a choice.

Here we go, then.

~

Realization 1: pizza, as it turns out, is quite the icebreaker. Donghyuck finds some odd joy in the fact that Yukhei "essentially jacked an entire pizza" (which he didn't), and he's much less hesitant than the last time they were together. It might be the fact that he's in his own room, but the point stands.

Realization 2, which is far more intriguing than the first: Donghyuck can get _chatty_. He brings just about every rumor of his to light with a sharp tongue and a roll of his eyes, and Yukhei can't look away. There's this certain glow to him that he hadn't quite seen before, but now that he has, it's like everything has been flipped.

"And so I'd like to clarify, I did _not_ put hair removal cream in the principal's stupid cap. He's balding enough as is." Donghyuck is sprawled over his bedsheets, hair fanning out and hand coming up to toy with his own piercings, Yukhei beside him. In the span of time he's spent at Donghyuck's place, he's learned some very interesting tidbits, including the fact that he's got some weird frenemies thing with Renjun. Makes sense, in hindsight.

After a long, painstaking hour of various _how-do-these-jeans-look_ 's (stressful simply because it's Lee Donghyuck, for god's sake), they've come to a consensus about dance attire (casual but nice!) and have finally just settled down.

"Ah, but I've been rambling about these rumors too long," Donghyuck sighs, and Yukhei allows himself to flop down fully onto his back.

"For what it's worth, I think it's ridiculous that people have such a wild misunderstanding of you as a person."

Donghyuck casts a gentle sidelong glance, snickering to himself silently. "Fuck that. They can think what they want as long as they stay out of my business."

Yukhei hums a bit to himself and runs a hand through his hair. "I think it's kinda cool that you can think like that."

"Don't take a lesson from me, Yukhei. You probably just need more of a balance. Pardon the wording, but you're always running around hoping to help with things you don't always need to help with."

"No, I get it," Yukhei sighs. "I just think that any gesture is a good one, whether big or small."

"And they are, but you should spend some more time for yourself, y'know?" Donghyuck shifts, eyes inadvertently locking with Yukhei's for a second too long before he averts them. "It's the least you could do for yourself."

" _Wow_ , Donghyuck. Am I detecting concern in your voice?" Donghyuck reunites with cheeky Yukhei at last.

"Shut _up_ , you totally just ruined that. And yes, you're nice, I thought we established this," Donghyuck grits out with reddening cheeks.

"Only nice?"

"Yukhei, I'm going to sound like an idiot if I list everything I like about you. Spare me the oxygen."

Yukhei isn't sure he's ready to process the implications of that, but he does anyway, and his breath catches for just a second. No better time than the present, he supposes.

"Then tell me some other time, or bit by bit. Maybe even at the dance, yeah?"

~

Yukhei needs help. Desperately. There are plenty of things he can handle on his own, but the infamous Lee Donghyuck is a whole other story. He's a lot of things, but lately, he's just—

"He's so... _god,_ " Yukhei whines to Mark, who barely bats an eye from where he sits at the library circulation desk.

"You've said this," Mark quips, typing something into the computer and adjusting his glasses.

"This time is different, Mark. This time..." Yukhei glances around to make sure nobody is listening for good measure before leaning in conspiratorially, bracing himself over the desk. "He dyed his hair."

Mark mouths an " _oh_ shit" and finally looks away from the computer, eyes wide, ever the good bro to care about Yukhei's crises. "For real? What color?"

What color? What a question. So normal, yet so deadly for someone who's either sported brown or red for much of their high school career.

"Black. I saw this morning, and he _winked_ at me."

Mark whistles lowly and reaches over, letting his hand rest on top of Yukhei's and nodding gravely. "Stay strong, king."

_Even kings have weaknesses_ , Yukhei's brain reminds him painfully. The ripped jeans and piercings were already hard enough when Yukhei was made terribly aware of them in Donghyuck's presence. Yukhei will be damned if he forgets about that eyebrow slit. He lets these images haunt his mind for a good few seconds before Mark decidedly breaks the silence.

"So this is a real acknowledgement of attraction, then? Not just something you'll let slip and deny later?" Mark asks, and maybe Yukhei feels a bit injured. Too close of a read.

"Okay, but he's not just hot, that'd be super shallow of me."

Mark makes a _go on_ gesture, and Yukhei takes a deep breath.

"I'm sure you know about this whole reputation thing Donghyuck's got going on. But a lot of it is just rumors, really."

"I figured as much. I wouldn't expect you to hang around, like, an asshole, y'know?" says Mark, and Yukhei nods in full agreement.

"Exactly. And he lives up to it in a few ways, of course, but he is nothing like the asshole some people have made him out to be. He's actually a bit of a softie. Kinda shy, believe it or not. And super thoughtful! Mark, I'm _screwed_."

"Wait, hold on. Can I ask what's made you so passionate about this?"

Yukhei takes a second to gnaw on his lower lip, fingernail tracing against the laminated wood countertop.

"Well, he asked me to help him with spirit week stuff, and I did."

"Yes?"

"And I went to his house just for a little bit, right? I brought some food and we ate and chatted for a bit."

"So." Mark squints. "Almost a date?"

"Why do you love to attack me like this?"

"Builds character," Mark says with a shrug, but he can't mask his gleeful grin to save his life. "Did it go well, at least?"

Yukhei heaves a heavy exhale and props his chin up against his palms.

"I hope it did."

~

"Got an eye out for someone?" Jeno asks the night of the dance, lightly bumping Yukhei's arm with his. 8:58 p.m., and Yukhei reckons his heart will pound out of his chest one of these days.

"Yep."

"Is it who I'm thinking of?"

Once more: "Yeah, it is."

Jeno attempts to sling a comforting arm over his shoulders but settles for Yukhei's back instead.

"You seem worried about him." His voice drops in volume, leaning a bit nearer and watching Yukhei nod with mild sympathy. "He seems happy whenever he talks to you or texts you. I'm sure you'll do great."

And as if on cue, the doors open, black hair and denim jacket cast in neon shades and dim lighting, eyes meeting Yukhei's from across the room. On autopilot, his feet carry him all the way over to Donghyuck, worries forgotten as they come to a standstill, mind tuning out the commotion around them like the noise has been submerged in water.

"You're here," Yukhei manages, eyes flitting over wavy locks and the faintest sheen upon Donghyuck's lips, the glint of silver upon his ears, and Donghyuck smiles knowingly.

"Of course. Gotta show these people I mean business."

Yukhei laughs and pulls him off to the side, and he doesn't think he's ever seen Donghyuck look this charming—boyish grin, an ease to his posture, simple outfit, and eyes that beckon him closer by the second.

"I'm glad you're here, Donghyuck."

"I wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste." Donghyuck pokes a finger at Yukhei's chest, eliciting a giggle as he raises an eyebrow. "Including the time you spent staring at my outfits."

"I was helping, not staring."

"You did both," amends Donghyuck, and Yukhei can live with this concession. "But if I can take a moment to be serious?"

Yukhei looks up expectantly, and it's like the entire room has been shrunk down to just the two of them.

"Thanks for doing this. For me, and for everyone. You're way too sweet, you know that?"

Donghyuck stares him right in the face for a good two seconds, and Yukhei can't fathom why until—

A brief press of lips to his cheeks, and Donghyuck leans closer to his ear before Yukhei can even see the blush blossoming on his cheeks.

"I swear to god, don't say anything," Donghyuck mutters, almost inaudible over the clamor of music and students, but Yukhei's heart grows thunderous nonetheless.

"I won't," he assures gently. "How do you feel about dancing?"

When he laces their hands together, Donghyuck feels just as warm as the sensation bursting in his chest.

~

_february 2019._

"And there you have it," Yukhei sighs, leaning back in his chair and opening his eyes to a frazzled looking Chenle.

"Bro, what the hell? This is an autobiography all on its own, you're lucky I brought the recorder," he groans, dropping his pen and shaking out his hand. "Also, I didn't even know you guys were a thing?"

Ah. Oops. _That's_ what Yukhei was forgetting, the fact that very few people actually know of their relationship officially, Chenle included.

"Really?"

"I mean, I guess I could infer from the whole, uh, dancing together and heart eyes."

"Hey, what—!"

"But I'm happy for you guys, seriously. It seems like you really trust each other. And after hearing all of this, it feels kind of weird to write this as some article to gawk at or whatever. So, consider: bold headline, sick font, _Wong Yukhei's Legacy as Student Council President!_ "

Yukhei can't suppress his amusement at Chenle's quick chance in pace, but he's certainly not complaining. Nor will his laughter stop him from waxing poetic about how grateful he is for Chenle's support—although, the buzzing of his phone might have other plans.

"Call from... a ton of heart emojis," observes Chenle with a smirk, and Yukhei grins sheepishly.

"That'd be my cue. Places to go, things to do." Yukhei picks up his bag and makes his way over to the door.

"Donghyucks to kiss?"

Yukhei grins with no small amount of fondness, stopping in the doorway and shaking his head.

"Thanks, Chenle, and I mean it. I'll see you around."

~

The sun is already low in the sky by the time Yukhei steps outside. He holds a hand to his forehead to shield his gaze, peering around for any sight of Donghyuck in the student parking lot until he finally catches the familiar sight of tousled black hair.

"I thought you were coming earlier?" asks Donghyuck, leaned against the washed-out brick of the building with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, you know, more stuco business with spring events coming up."

"I sure hope you're not stressing yourself out over this," sighs Donghyuck, winding his arms around Yukhei's torso and blinking up at him.

"I'll be fine. In the meantime, I think we should both stay out of trouble."

"So, you _don't_ want me to do my own thing? Where's the fun in that?"

Yukhei laughs, grin wide and brilliant, Donghyuck's warmth lingering against his palm as he draws away.

"Let me guess. Over your dead body?"

And Donghyuck smirks, pops a bubble of gum and presses his lips against Yukhei's in a short kiss, soft and sharp and more than he could've ever imagined.

"You know it, love."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading if you made it this far! comments are appreciated, and happy 99ft00 postings!
> 
> thank you as well to ash, nana, and jam for reading this over and helping me! 💞


End file.
